US Capitol Christmas Tree

Two hundred glass ornaments were hidden along non-wilderness trails on the Willamette National Forest for lucky adventurers to find in
contest hosted by the Willamette Valley Visitors Association this summer. In addition to a keepsake ornament, over 120 lucky winners have been
awarded prizes, and all who register their ornament will be entered into the grand prize: a three night, four day paid trip for two to Washington D.C.
in December 2018 to see the lighting of the 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.

There are still 82 ornaments in the forest and Labor Day Weekend is a great time to hit the trail! We're giving you some extra hints to help get you closer
to finding the remaining treasures.

*Edited: maps will be updated weekly between now and the end of the contest on Oct. 2. Download this PDF with maps indicating areas to focus on in the forest.

The contest ends on October 2, the anniversary of the National Trails System Act. Be sure to share your adventures using the hashtags: #FindYourTrail,
#FindYourOrnament, #USCapitolChristmasTree and #ItsAllYours.

Safety in bear country begins before you stay in the campground or hit the trail.

Be Bear Aware: Bears exist in and around a majority of our public lands across the United States and are native and natural members of
the wildlife community. Seeing a bear can be an exciting experience, one that will form a lasting memory of your visit. By learning more about bears
and their curious nature, you can better prepare for your visit to bear country and make it a positive experience for both you and the bear

About Bears: Bears are curious and intelligent animals, capable of learning and modifying their behavior based on life experiences. Bears have an excellent
sense of smell that can span miles and their eyesight is similar to a human’s. The Native Americans have a poignant saying: “A pine needle fell. The
eagle saw it. The deer heard it. The bear smelled it.” Smell is a bear’s most fundamental and important sense.

Three bear species live in North
America – black bears, brown bears and polar bears, with polar bears living only in the Arctic. Black and brown bears can be identified by these characteristics:
- Black bears (Ursus americanus) are the most abundant and widely distributed of the three species of North American bears. Black bears vary in color from
jet black to cinnamon to white, although black is the color encountered most frequently.

- Brown bears and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) are the same species, even though there are notable differences between them. “Brown bears” typically live
along the southern coast of Alaska where they have access to seasonally abundant spawning salmon. The smaller “grizzly bear” lives in the northern
and interior areas of Alaska as well as the northern Cascades and Rocky Mountains of the lower 48 states.

Black and brown bears are omnivorous, meaning they eat a variety of plants and animals. Bear diets consist mainly of grasses, roots, berries, insects,
and fish and animals, including dead animals. Bear feeding increases in late summer and fall as they prepare for winter hibernation. Bears are opportunistic
eaters and can easily develop a taste for human and pet foods. In addition, bears seeking food can be attracted to non-foods that have a smell, such
as toothpaste, handy-wipes, soap, some medications, cooking utensils and grills, bird seed and garbage. Most human-bear conflicts occur when bears
access and become habituated to human food sources.

Safety when Camping in Bear CountryIt is very important to never feed bears! Bears can quickly learn to associate people with food
and easily become habituated to human food. Follow these simple guidelines when camping:
- Keep a clean camp. All food, toothpaste, soda and juices, and other bear attractants should be secured away from tents.
- Use food lockers when available or follow the campground’s food storage recommendations and guidelines for properly storing food while in the area.
- Use recycling and trash bins provided at campgrounds frequently instead of storing garbage at your campsite.
- Keep your pets leashed and secure their food between meals.
- While away from camp, secure food and garbage.

Safety for Hiking in Bear CountryWhile hiking, you should always watch ahead for bears or bear signs. In their natural habitats, bears
prefer to avoid humans but will react aggressively when startled or protecting cubs. Human confrontations with bears are usually the result of a sudden
encounter with a bear protecting its space, cubs or food caches.

Use these tips when hiking in bear inhabited areas:
- Avoid surprising bears by making noise, as bears will avoid you if they can hear or smell you.
- Always give a bear space. Never approach, crowd, pursue or displace a bear you see ahead on the trail.
- Never get between a mother and her cub even if the cub appears to be alone or sick.
- Leave pets at home or keep them leashed. Loose dogs can startle bears and cause them to chase the dogs back to their owners.

If You Encounter a BearWhether on the trail or in your campsite, do not run! Remain calm, group together and pick up small children. Continue to face the bear and back away
slowly, talking calmly to identify yourself as a human and not another animal. If the bear continues to approach, try to scare it away by making yourself
as large and imposing as possible and making loud noises. Carry and know how to use bear spray, which is available at many outdoor retailers and can
be used to deter a charging bear.

The 2018 United States Capitol Christmas Tree campaign has reached a new phase of its official process this week. A representative of the Architect of
the Capitol is visiting the Willamette National Forest to review candidate trees and to select the Capitol Christmas Tree, which be displayed on the
West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol in December. Making the trip from Washington, D.C. is Jim Kaufmann, the Director of the Capitol Grounds and Arboretum
at the Architect of the Capitol, the federal agency responsible for the operations and care of the U.S. Capitol buildings and grounds.

Together with the local “tree team,” which includes foresters and a botanist, Kaufmann is currently evaluating tree candidates and will select the 2018
U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, although the winning tree and its location will be kept secret for security reasons until it is cut down in early November.

Kaufmann will be evaluating each tree for a variety of desired characteristics, including being 65-85 feet in height, having a straight
stem, uniform branching, a perfectly conical shape, natural density, and rich green color. Each of the tree candidates is either a Douglas or Noble
fir tree, the two most iconic conifer species in both the Willamette National Forest and the state. The Douglas fir is Oregon’s official state tree.
Also of great importance is the tree’s accessibility by crane and semitruck for when it’s time for it to be harvested. Additionally, the U.S. Forest
Service is evaluating each location to ensure the protection of sensitive habitats and species.

“Oregon is known around the country for its spectacular natural beauty, including its incredible national forests. It’s a privilege to visit the Willamette
National Forest to select the 2018 Capitol Christmas Tree,” said Kaufmann. “I have no d
oubt that we will find the perfect tree for the West Lawn of the Capitol, and we’re thrilled to have Oregon be an important part of the nation’s holiday
celebration this year.” “It’s very exciting to have reached this stage of the yearlong U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree process, which started in January
when the U.S. Forest Service announced that the Willamette National Forest had been selected to provide the 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree,” said
Nikki Swanson, Sweet Home District Ranger. “We have identified some absolutely beautiful candidates that will represent the State of Oregon perfectly,
and we look forward to unveiling the winning tree in November, as we tour it along the Oregon Trail on its way to Washington, D.C.”

The U.S. Forest Service has provided the Capitol Christmas Tree every year since 1970. In January 2018, the U.S. Forest Service announced
that the 2018 Capitol Christmas Tree would come from Oregon’s Willamette National Forest. A gift from the Willamette National Forest and the State
of Oregon to the people of the United States, the tree will be displayed on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., with a public
tree-lighting ceremony in early December 2018. The last time Oregon was chosen to provide the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree was in 2002, when a tree
was selected from the Umpqua National Forest. Seventy smaller companion trees will also be sent to Washington, D.C., from the Willamette National Forest
to decorate government buildings and public spaces this December. Additionally, Oregonians will contribute 10,000 handmade ornaments, to be created
throughout 2018. There is still a great need for weatherproof ornaments that are nine to twelve inches in size to decorate the Capitol Christmas tree.
Information on upcoming ornament making events, plus a template for creating one at home, is available online.

The theme for the 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree is “Find Your Trail!” in recognition of two 2018 anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of the National
Trails System Act and the 175th commemoration of the Oregon Trail. In November, the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will travel eastward from Oregon on
the reverse path of the Oregon Trail. The schedule and special events will be announced this fall. There is still a chance for people to win a trip
for two to Washington, D.C., to attend the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting and festivities through the “Find Your Ornament” contest. Earlier this
summer, 200 glass ornaments were hidden along non-wilderness trails on the Willamette National Forest for lucky adventurers to find. In addition to
a keepsake ornament, more than 120 winners will be awarded prizes, and all entrants will be automatically entered to win the grand prize trip to Washington,
D.C. The contest runs through October 2, 2018. Further details are available at the Willamette Valley Visitors Association.

Recent Posts

This year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be coming from New Mexico. The tree will be displayed on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington,
D.C., with a public tree-lighting ceremony in early December.

The 2019 tree will be cut from the Questa Ranger District on the Carson National Forest. Seventy smaller companion trees will also be sent to our nation’s
capital to decorate government buildings and public spaces.

Ricardo Martinez, Deputy District Ranger for the Questa Ranger District and project coordinator noted that 2019 will spotlight New Mexico through the U.S.
Capitol Christmas Tree. “We will seek opportunities to share stewardship of this project by engaging with the state, tribal and local communities,
as well as partners from the private and public sectors”, he said.

Communities throughout New Mexico will be encouraged to share the experience of selecting, caring for, decorating and transporting this gift to the nation.
New Mexicans will contribute 10,000 handmade ornaments to be created throughout 2019 capturing the unique culture and beauty of northern New Mexico.

“Throughout the year you’ll have opportunities to make your mark on this gift from New Mexico to the nation - creating and decorating ornaments and discovering
inspiring trees in the Carson National Forest,” said Martinez. “Perhaps you’ll even discover THE tree that is selected for the important journey to
Washington, D.C. where it will delight visitors from around the world.”

“I am so proud and excited that New Mexico has been chosen as the origin of the 2019 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree,” Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham said.
“New Mexico’s public lands are treasured all across the state, and it is an incredible honor for all New Mexicans to have our beautiful landscapes
represented to the nation with a tree from the Carson National Forest. I hope this wonderful event inspires all New Mexicans to continue to celebrate
and value our public lands and our proud history of stewardship.”

The Forest has partnered with non-profit Choose Outdoors to help implement the year-long public engagement campaign. The project is made possible thanks
to large and small companies and volunteers locally and across America who provide invaluable support of time and resources in bringing the campaign
to life from New Mexico to Washington, D.C. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Bruce Ward,
president of Choose Outdoors.

New Mexicans and visitors are invited to participate in activities throughout 2019. The first event will take place on Feb. 22, 2019, in Taos, at the Taos
Youth and Family Center from 12-3 p.m. where you can celebrate with Forest employees, hear more about the project, and help decorate ornaments for
the tree.

Every year since 1970, USDA Forest Service has provided the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, also known as the People’s Tree. This is the fourth U.S. Capitol
Christmas Tree to come from the Southwestern Region of USDA Forest Service. Two were from New Mexico - an Engelmann Spruce from the Santa Fe NF in
2005 and a Blue Spruce from Carson NF in 1991. In 2009 an Engelmann Spruce came from the Apache-Sitgreaves NFs in Arizona.

“It’s hard to put into words the experiences I had — and continue to have — following the tree from the original site in the Willamette National Forest, through the State of Oregon Whistle Stops, and now on my way to D.C., to witness the lighting of the tree and festivities. For me, it’s been all about the people that have touched the process – the organizers, the sponsors, the U.S. Forest Service Team, the communities we visited – their pride in being a part of history – a reason to celebrate together.I look at my role as somewhat of an ambassador for Papé as I traveled through the State of Oregon – sharing information about Papé, our rich history in providing equipment and services for 80 years in the communities we live, and connecting with team members along the way.” —
Heidi Coleman, Corporate Events Specialist

This event, as Heidi so eloquently stated, is not only a proud moment for Papé as our team traveled through Oregon, but an opportunity to impact our communities
and home state during such an integral piece of U.S. holiday tradition. Connection, collaboration, and tradition - just a few words that come to mind
when you ask various members of our company what Papé’s involvement has meant to them. For those that were able to attend either the tree cutting ceremony
or any of the whistle stops, the sense of comradery and excitement was contagious. The time, effort, and sheer number of people it took to make this
journey a success is an incredible feat and could not have been done without the support of every community that the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree visited
across the country.

The journey of “The People’s Tree” was an expression of the innovative and dedicated Oregonian spirit, that has been ingrained within the company ever
since our founder acquired his first capital equipment dealership in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

“Let our tree be a gift from all Oregonians, that unites our nation in celebration, gratitude and reflection of our deep roots, that each American puts down in the name of freedom, civility, opportunity, and faith in one another.”

Our involvement in the Capitol Christmas Tree’s journey was second nature, as the tree was sourced from our own backyard, the Willamette National Forest.
President of Papé Kenworth, Dave Laird, expressed the sentiment best:

“From the moment we became aware that the capitol Christmas tree was coming from Oregon we knew we wanted to be involved. With Kenworth providing the new W990 and Central Oregon Truck Company providing the drivers, it made perfect sense for us to join our partners to see the tree get to the capitol.”

The Capitol Christmas Tree project naturally coincided with the industries we serve. Our Papé Machinery, Construction & Forestry member J.R. Crownover
delivered the equipment that made felling the tree possible. Papé Kenworth contributed the truck that was driven by our valued customer, Central Oregon
Truck Company, and Papé employees at every level of our organization volunteered at and attended events from Oregon to Washington D.C. As a company
we are dedicated to creating end-to-end solutions for our customers and we hope we provided the same support for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree team,
U.S. Forest Service, and other partners.

While sponsoring this momentous occasion was a perfect fit for the company, it all stems from the sense of community that comes from working together toward
a common goal. All of the conversations and comments from the public and members of Papé, bring up similar themes that our Marketing Coordinator, Cassidy
Davis frames flawlessly, “it was so inspiring to see how the tree brought people and communities together. Across each city and at every stop, the tree was able to bring out the true spirit of the holiday season.”

It’s those aspects of inspiration, togetherness, and celebration that mean the most to us as people of the U.S., and as a company. We are
so happy that we were able to provide support, encouragement, and participate in such a fantastic event, because, “it’s opportunities like this that make our jobs worthwhile, having the chance to be a part of not just Oregon, but U.S. history.” — John Woodruff, Director of Marketing.

From The Washington Post- She
played violin before an audience at the National Press Club. She’s met members of Congress, Cabinet officials and rock stars. On Thursday, she stood
with House Speaker Paul D. Ryan and flipped the switch to light the Capitol Christmas Tree.

But Brigette Harrington is no dignitary or head of state.

She’s a 9-year-old girl from Oregon.

Brigette, who would tell you that she is actually “9 and a half,” is from Hillsboro, near Portland. This is her first time in the District.

It’s a little almost overwhelming,” she said Wednesday, flashing her festive green-and-red braces with a wide smile.

Brigette won the chance to travel to Washington and light the Capitol tree — a noble
fir plucked from Oregon’s Willamette National Forest — in a statewide contest that asked elementary schoolers to write about why they love the
state’s outdoors.

It has become a tradition at the Capitol to invite a child from the same state as the tree to help light the symbol of holiday cheer. The writing contest
in recent years has served as a way to choose the child.

Written in the style of “A Visit From St. Nicholas,” Brigette’s poem recalled
­Oregon’s changing fall colors, winter snow, spring rains and summer days filled with adventures.

“I tried to think of some good things to put in the poem, some details and topics, and I came up with the four seasons and how lucky Oregon is to have
those, because not everybody does,” she said. “Everything that my family has done over the four seasons — picking berries, hiking, kayaking.
We do so much. We love the outdoors.”

On the October morning she learned she won, Brigette was sitting in class at Jackson Elementary School when the governor walked in, surrounded by a gaggle
of cameras and trailed by Kim and Scott Harrington, Brigette’s parents.

“I was a little suspicious, because it’s not every day the governor walks into your classroom,” Brigette said. “At first I was like, ‘Maybe somebody won
here, but it’s probably not me’ — because there were a couple other entries in my classroom and it could have been any of us.”

Even then, the Harringtons said, they had no idea what they were in for.

For the next two months, Brigette toured Oregon, reciting her poem in various cities and towns along a 23-stop tour. She followed the tree, a noble
fir indigenous to the American Northwest, as it was paraded throughout the state before starting the 3,000-mile trip to Washington.

“None of us initially realized that this was not truly about a tree, that it’s so much more,” said Kim Harrington, 43. “The most amazing thing for
us is seeing how this has brought such joy and happiness and such a connectedness among all the people it touches.”

Even then, the Harringtons said, they had no idea what they were in for.

For the next two months, Brigette toured Oregon, reciting her poem in various cities and towns along a 23-stop tour. She followed the tree, a noble
fir indigenous to the American Northwest, as it was paraded throughout the state before starting the 3,000-mile trip to Washington.

It’s been quite the week.

Accompanied by her parents and three grandparents, Brigette has been ushered into galas and lunches and receptions since she arrived in the District
on Saturday. Every sign, program and invitation has been addressed to “Brigette Harrington and guests,” her father chuckled.

“We’re just riding around on her shirttails,” said Scott Harrington, 43.

Brigette has met Chuck Leavell, the Rolling Stones keyboardist who has taken on environmental activism; Oregon’s two U.S. senators, Jeff Merkley (D)
and Ron Wyden (D); U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue; and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.).

She visited the Capitol Rotunda to pay respects to the late George H.W. Bush, who served as president 20 years before she was born.

On Sunday, she lost a tooth in the National Museum of American History.

“I was just eating a rice crispy — and then I swallowed it with that rice crispy,” she said. “The tooth fairy said: ‘It’s okay you swallowed
your tooth. Most kids do it anyway.’ ”

The tradition of the Capitol Christmas Tree, also known as “The People’s Tree,” began when House Speaker John W. McCormack (D-Mass.) placed a live
Christmas tree on the Capitol lawn in 1964.

Six years later, the Architect of Capitol office asked the U.S. Forest Service to find a Christmas tree for the Capitol grounds. Every year since,
the Forest Service has set out to find a tree from a national park.

Willamette National Forest, the origin of this year’s tree, is a coniferous forest in the Cascade Mountains that encompasses more than 1.6 million
acres. It’s the first time a tree from that park has been featured at the Capitol.